Third story in the Second Chances series.
Follows By the Light of Day
"Ezra," a hesitant voice drew the gambler's attention at the same time as the small hand on his arm did."Billy?" Ezra looked at the wide-eyed boy in surprise. "Why on earth have you entered this establishment? If your mother discovers that you've been in here, you and I will undoubtedly both be facing some undesirable consequences."
The boy's eyes roamed to take in as much as he could of the saloon. He gawked at the shelves full of whiskey bottles behind the bar and edged a bit closer to the con man when he noticed a drifter on the far side of the room staring at him. He shook his head. "Mama sent me to find you."
"Is there something wrong?" he asked as he gathered his cards from the table where he had been playing solitaire.
"She said she wanted to ask you somethin'."
Ezra put a hand on Billy's back to steer him out of the saloon. Out on the boardwalk they paused a moment to let their eyes adjust from the dim interior to the bright sunshine. "Did she offer any information as to what she wished to inquire of me?"
"Huh?"
"Did she tell you what she wanted to ask me?" Ezra translated.
"No. She just said to come find ya." Billy waited quietly at the gambler's side.
Standish saw the boy risk a glance at Chris. The man in black had settled into one of the chairs outside the saloon to read. He also saw Larabee glance back at the kid and then pretend that he hadn't noticed they were there. Ezra knew that Mary had kept the details of what had happened the month before from her young son, and he understood why she had. But, the lad obviously couldn't understand why all of a sudden his mother couldn’t stand to be near the man he still idolized. He had been told that his mother had been hit accidentally when she tried to stop a fight, but not that it had been Chris who threw the punch. "You don't need to accompany me, if you would like to spend a little time with someone else." The gambler nodded toward where the blonde sat.
"It'll make Mama mad," he said sadly.
"I'll explain to your mother. Go on! I have it on good authority that he has missed you too." He gave the small shoulder a pat and smiled when he saw the boy's face light up.
He sighed as he walked away from the pair and went in search of Mary. Billy was her son and he really shouldn't interfere, but he was too young to understand the rift between the adults. He shouldn't have to suffer for something that had nothing to do with him. 'Well, he did tell Chris about Mary being sick after I asked him not to,' Ezra thought. But, that was partly his fault too. He had told the boy not to tell anyone, but he hadn't explained that he meant the other six peacekeepers too. As young as he was, Billy did realize that they worked as a team.
Standish stepped into the newspaper office to find it unoccupied. He frowned, wondering why she would send for him and then leave. "Mrs. Travis?" he called out.
"I'm in the kitchen. Come on back."
"I thought perhaps I had misunderstood and had come to the wrong place." Ezra leaned casually against the doorframe.
Mary glanced around him and looked at him with raised brows." Didn't Billy come back with you?"
"I do hope that you had not insisted on his immediate return. I let him stay to talk to Mr. Larabee for a little while. They miss each other." He braced himself for her reaction and hoped he had not made a serious mistake.
He saw her stiffen at the mention of Chris's name, but she held her temper. "You know I would rather he didn't spend time with him. It isn't fair to him since there is no chance of there ever being anything between Chris and me, not after what happened."
"Sit and talk with me." Ezra nodded to the chairs at the table. He waited until they were both seated and then took her hand before looking her straight in the eyes. "Mary, I know you feel a strong animosity toward Chris, but Billy doesn't understand. He still looks up to him, and frankly, he could have a lot worse role model."
"You can't honestly mean that?" She stared at him, slack-jawed and wide-eyed.
"I most certainly do. He did not deliberately hurt you, and I know you realize that, and that he would never hurt your son," he answered adamantly.
Mary huffed and pulled her hand from his. "He killed our baby, Ezra! How can you defend him? Don't you care that our baby is dead?"
"There is not a day goes by that I don't think of the child, and not a night that I don't see it in my dreams. You know I care, and I still grieve that loss too, but it was an accident. That punch was intended for me, not you." His voice broke and his eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I know you might never be able to forgive Chris, but don't take it out on Billy. This is breaking his heart."
He could tell she tried to muffle the sobs that were coming. There were those telltale spasms when she tried to hold them back, but it was going to be a losing battle because the tears already rolled down her face.
"I don't… mean to… do that," she said between sobs.
Ezra passed her his handkerchief and scooted his chair around closer so he could put an arm around her shoulders while she cried. "I know you don't, but it is happening despite your intentions." He gently rubbed her upper arm and felt her rest her head against his shoulder as she wept uncontrollably. He sat and held her quietly until she had cried herself out.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall apart like that." She sniffed and blew her nose before continuing. "This has been so hard. I can't talk to anyone about what happened, and I have to try to act like I am fine, and I'm not."
"You have me to talk to, or any of my associates," he offered.
"It isn't the same. I know I can talk to any of you, but sometimes there are things a woman just needs another woman to talk to about," she said sadly.
"I am sure that is true. Is there not even one of the women here who you trust enough to confide in?" He watched Mary shake her head no and sighed heavily. "I am sorry that you have to bear so much of this burden alone, but the secrecy has been to protect your standing in the community."
"I am very grateful for that." Red-rimmed eyes caught and held his gaze. "I have misjudged so many people that they would love to get hold of this for the town gossip."
"Now, you had Billy inform me that you had something you wished to discuss with me." A sudden sense of de ja vu swept over him. He could recall the last time he sat at this table and made a similar comment.
"You said it yourself, the way I am right now is hurting Billy. I need to get him away for a little while until I can get myself straightened out." She got up and turned her back to him to look out the window as she spoke. "I'm hurting my son, and I can't bear it. He's all I have left." She took a deep breath and plunged on before she lost her nerve. "Will you help me take him to his grandparents?"
"Are you sure that is what you want to do? Wouldn't that be hurting him more?" Ezra knew from his own past how much it hurt to be passed off to relatives when his mother couldn't have him around for some reason or another.
"Billy loves his grandparents and he loves to visit them. They already said they would love to have him there."
"Didn't they inquire as to why you wanted him to go to them?" She turned back around and he saw a spark of determination, just a hint of the strength of the 'old' Mary. "I could perhaps help you create a plausible reason."
"I told them that things had gotten in such a state with me being laid up for so long that I could use some time to get things back in order, and that I felt I was neglecting Billy by spending so much time trying to catch up. They were thrilled at the chance for another visit so soon." She stopped and waited expectantly.
"You have sent your son on the stage in the past, you don't intend to this time?"
"Not after those men threatened to kidnap him." She visible shuddered at the memory. "If we take the horses we can save time by cutting cross-country instead of staying on the road. Instead of two full days riding, it would take slightly less than a day and a half. Will you help me, please?"
"When do we leave?"
~M7M~
It was just past dawn two days later when Ezra and Mary saddled the horses and led them out of the livery. They stopped in front of the newspaper office for her to get the well-stocked saddlebag she had left there with Billy. Chris had come out to see the young boy off, and he tensed when they drew their horses to a halt.
"Mr. Larabee, what has you up at this uncivilized hour?" the gambler teased.
"Well, unlike you, I don't usually sleep half the day away," the blonde replied with a hint of a smile. "I wanted to tell Billy to have a good time, and I had something to give him." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small woodcarving. It was a wonderful sculpture of a horse.
"Hey, ya got it right this time!" Billy smiled broadly at the blonde.
"Looks like I did." Chris ruffled the boy's hair and gave him a wink before lifting him up to sit him in front of his mother on her horse. "You have fun." He looked up at Mary's troubled expression, grateful that she had allowed him the few minutes with the boy he had grown to care deeply about. "Thank you, Mary." He gave her a slight nod and backed away so they could turn the horses back out into the street.
Chris caught Ezra's attention as he maneuvered his horse away from the edge of the boardwalk. "Keep them safe."
"I assure you Mr. Larabee, that is my top priority." He gave a curt two-fingered salute and a slight nod of the head before urging his horse to catch up with Mary's.
~M7M~
The day had been relatively uneventful. They had taken turns riding double with Billy, partly to keep one horse from carrying the extra weight the entire time, and partly so neither of them would be worn out from dealing with a restless seven year old for the entire day. They had stopped to rest the horses and have a lunch of cold biscuits and bacon, and then they started out again.
"I do believe we should begin keeping an eye open for a suitable campsite, even if it means we stop earlier than planned. This time of year water is getting considerably more scarce. If we find a satisfactory source it would be unwise to pass it by." Ezra scanned the landscape around them and sighed. He hated the dry season. It was way too hot, water was hard to find, and he hated being dirty and sweaty.
They had ridden for nearly an hour when Mary pointed to a stand of trees. "What about over there? It looks a little greener so maybe there is water."
"It is worth the time for the short detour to investigate. We still have a couple hours of light left if we need to move on." He turned his horse toward the copse and Mary followed close behind with Billy.
As they neared the trees, Chaucer picked up his pace slightly, and Ezra could see him sniffing at the air. It was a good sign. He had seen the horse act that way when they got near water before. They wound their way in through the shade and finally found it. It was a small stream, very small at the moment since it had been some time since there had been any substantial rain, but it would do. The water was still flowing so it was fresh and not just a stagnated pool left behind when the stream had dried up, but there wouldn't be enough water left to keep the stream running if there wasn't rain soon.
"This will do," Ezra announced. "Billy, can you hold the reins and let the horses quench their thirst while your Mother and I unload them?"
"Yeah…Mama, can I take off my boots and wade in the water? I'm hot!"
"Take care of the horses first, then you may. I might even join you." She laughed at the surprised look on her son's face. "Mothers need cooling off too sometimes." She started helping unload the horses. Ezra wouldn't let her lift anything very heavy despite her protests that she was well enough to handle it.
The gambler got all the heavy packs moved to a small clear area and then set to work on the saddles. Mary was left with the bedrolls, the weapons, and canteens. Once he had the horses unsaddled, he set about rubbing them down and spreading their saddle blankets out for the sweat to dry. There were still a few small patches of green grass next to the stream, so he tethered the horses so each had patch to its self.
Billy had his boots off and was wading in the water almost before Ezra had a good hold on the reins. The water barely covered his feet but the boy was happy nonetheless. "Is the water cool?"
"Uh huh. Sure wish it was deep enough to swim in." The kid bent down and scooped up some water to rub on his sweaty face.
Mary had been busy setting up the camp while he tended to the animals, and she had things nearly done when Ezra joined her. "I think we should clear a larger area surrounding the fire, and keep it to a minimum size as a precaution tonight."
She glanced around and then back at the area she had cleared for their campfire. "I think you're right. It would probably be a good idea to put it out when we get ready to go to sleep."
The evening meal was a simple one. They opened a couple tins of beans and heated them over the fire. Those were served along with more cold biscuits and coffee. Ezra sat and turned the empty tin around in his hands. "Whoever invented this…" he held the can up for them to see. "…is a brilliant man."
"What makes you think it has to be a man who invented it? Women are usually the ones who do the preserving." A pair of delicate eyebrows rose in question and she waited for his reply, sure that he would have some detailed reason for why the inventor had to be a man.
"Quite true. Perhaps a woman developed the concept and a man created the way to make it work." He grinned showing off dimples and his gold tooth in the process, when he heard her laugh softly.
Billy had given up fighting it and had fallen asleep before it was fully dark. Now he lay there sprawled on his back, blissfully unaware of the adults. A soft snore had them both chuckling. "I wish I could sleep like that," Mary commented.
"Under the right circumstances, I can," Ezra confessed. "You can sleep like that. I've seen you do it a couple of times." He grinned mischievously when he saw her duck her head the way she always did when she was trying to hide a blush. "What say you, fair lady?" He stood and offered her his hand to help her up. "Shall we follow the young gentleman's example and take a cooling stroll in the stream?"
"Why Mr. Standish, I thought you would never ask," she replied, mimicking his courtly manners.
They laughed when they pulled off their shoes and socks, making a race out of it to see who could get their feet wet first. Ezra had his pant legs cuffed up to keep them dry and stepped into the water before Mary had the second shoe off. "That's not fair!"
"Oh, but it is fair. I beat you; it's as simple as that." He winked at her and offered a hand to keep her from slipping on the wet pebbles on the bottom of the streambed. When she reached his side, he offered his arm and they walked through the cool water, letting it pull some of the heat out of their sun-baked bodies. "I vote for sleeping in the stream," Ezra teased.
+ + +
Morning found all three curled up closely together with Billy in the middle. Ezra had insisted that they stay close since they put the fire out completely. He hadn't seen any signs of any dangerous wildlife, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. They opted to skip starting a fire for coffee and settled for a quick, cold breakfast before setting out for the day's ride.
+ + +
Orin Travis was waiting for them when they rode into town at mid-afternoon. "I was beginning to worry. I expected you here before noon," he said as he lifted Billy down from his place in front of Ezra.
"We were forced to stop early yesterday. Water is not very plentiful during this season," the gambler explained.
"Ahhh, I hadn't considered that." The judge still held his grandson, and he hugged him tightly before setting him down. "So, did you have any great adventures on your ride here?"
"Ezra let me ride his horse," Billy said, with a huge grin on his face.
"Well, of course he did. You were riding on his horse when you got here," the judge pointed out.
"I believe your grandson is referring to me letting him take the reins for a time."
"You did? Then it won't be much longer until you can ride on your own." Judge Travis ruffled the boy's hair and grinned at him affectionately. "Your grandmother is waiting to see you. Why don't you run on ahead? Mary, you can go too, you must be tired. I'll help Ezra with the horses."
The older man busied himself tending to his daughter-in-law's horse. From the next stall he could hear the soothing sounds the gambler made to Chaucer as he rubbed him down. "Ezra, what's really behind this sudden trip here?"
"I am certain that Mrs. Travis informed you of her reasons," he responded warily, sensing a trap.
"She gave us a reason, but I don't think it is the reason. I realize she got badly hurt and was laid up for awhile, but I think it is more than just needing time to get things back in order at the Clarion." He paused and when the younger man didn't respond he continued. "Why did she have you bring her instead of Chris?"
Ezra poured a measure of grain into the feedbox and left the stall to go stand in the opening to the one where the judge was just finishing up. "I think this is all something you should broach with your daughter-in-law; however, I will tell you this much. I am aware that you were told that she was seriously injured when she tried to break up a fight. I doubt that she told you that the altercation was between Mr. Larabee and me." He held up a hand to stop the judge from interrupting. "Mr. Larabee was in so enraged that he didn't see her step between us. It all happened in the space of a heartbeat. The blow that Mary received was intended for me."
"Chris hurt her?" The judge sagged back against the wall of the stall and ran a shaky hand across his face as he tried to digest that information. Then he looked the gambler straight in the eyes and asked, "Why was he that mad at you?"
"The reasons for his anger are personal. But, I can assure you that it had nothing to do with the performance of our duties to the town, and that it is the only instance where our esteemed leader has lost control in such a manner." He hoped this would appease the judge. He hadn't wanted to tell him anything, but he could read him well enough to know that he wouldn't give up until he found out the real reason for the visit. Ezra knew that he would have to give him something in addition to the story Mary had given him, or the judge would keep digging. "She is still recovering from the ordeal, and has been dealing with some emotional issues in addition to the physical trauma. She had grown quite fond of Mr. Larabee. Now, she has her business to get in order, and she needs time to finish healing both physically and emotionally."
"But it was an accident?" the judge asked.
"Yes, but I believe seeing him like that and suffering injury by his hand has her frightened. She doesn't want to be near him right now. Hence, she requested my assistance for this excursion." He kept his game face on and hoped this was enough. "I would appreciate it if you did not inform her that I provided you with this information."
Travis pushed himself away from the wall, stopped next to the gambler, and he gave Ezra's shoulder a squeeze. "I'll not let her know what you told me, but I thank you for telling me the rest of the story. I knew she was leaving something out." He sighed heavily. "It won't be long until supper, I'd like you to join us if you will."
~M7M~
"Are you sure we can't convince you to stay a little longer?" Judge Travis asked his daughter-in-law.
Mary shook her head and hugged him tightly. "I have to get back. Maybe I can visit longer when we come back to get Billy." She let go and pulled herself up into the saddle before he could convince her to stay. She had already said a tearful good-bye to her son at the house, and they had to go now before she lost her resolve to leave him there.
"Alright, I'll hold you to that." He gave the horse a pat on the rump as it started to move away. "Ezra…"
The gambler smiled knowingly at his former adversary. "I give you my word; I will see her safely home." He was slightly taken aback when the judge offered his hand in farewell.
"I know you will, and thank you." He clasped the younger man's hand before sending him on his way.
They rode quietly for awhile before Mary broke the silence. "Where do you think we should stop tonight? I don't remember passing any other good places, other than the one we found."
"I had been thinking on that very subject. It will be an early stop, but I believe it would be wise to pass the night in that same location." He looked questioningly at his riding companion. "Would that be acceptable to you?
Mary was surprised to be consulted on the decision. She was used to the men around her always taking control of the situation, like her thoughts on the subject didn't matter at all. "Totally acceptable," she agreed.
+ + +
They stopped at mid-afternoon and divided up the tasks as they had before. Ezra was alarmed to see how much lower the water was after only two days. In places the water flowed only in the slightly deeper channels, exposing a good portion of the streambed. If they had stayed in town another couple of days the water would have, in all probability, been gone by the time they got here.
"Ezra, I don't think we should chance a fire tonight. Look at this." She indicated the area where they had camped three nights before. "Everything is so much drier."
"I agree. But, at least we don't have to eat cold beans," he said with a grin.
"Why not?" She looked at him suspiciously.
He went to his saddlebag and pulled out a cloth wrapped bundle. "Compliments of the elder Mrs. Travis," he said as he passed it over to her.
The fried chicken and biscuits tasted like a full course meal after riding most of the day. "That was so much better than beans," Mary said as she held her stomach and groaned. "But, I am stuffed," she added.
"Indeed, your mother-in-law did not intend for us to go to sleep hungry." He pulled the last bite of meat off the chicken leg in his hand. There was one piece left and he offered it to her.
"I couldn't eat another bite if I tried." She shook her head and wrinkled up her nose at the mere thought of more food.
The gambler finished off the last piece and then moaned. "I think I understand now why gluttony is considered a sin." With an exaggerated effort, he got to his feet and gathered up the cloth with the pile of chicken bones inside. "I think I will take these some distance from the camp to dispose of them to avoid attracting undue attention during the night."
He headed upstream from the campsite for a considerable distance before he stopped and looked back to be sure he was well out of visual range. Once certain he was far enough away the pitched the bones out into a thicket, and then searched for a good place to relieve himself.
+ + +
Mary watched Ezra walk away from the camp and once he was where she could no longer see him, she left the camp in the opposite direction. All that food was making its presence known quite insistently. She wanted to put enough distance between herself and the camp that he wouldn't see her if he got back before she did. This was the one part of roughing it that she really didn't like. Old newspapers seemed like real luxury compared to having to use dried leaves.
After that unpleasant business was attended to, she went to the stream to rinse her hands and grinned at what she saw. She couldn't wait to tell Ezra.
The two got back to camp at almost the same time and Mary couldn't contain herself. "Don't sit down! I have something to show you." She grabbed his hand and tugged him back downstream.
"I admit that I find myself intrigued as to what could have excited you so much. Just please, tell me you didn't find something edible," he teased.
"No, but I think you'll like it." She pulled him along behind her for a short distance more and then stopped at the edge of the stream. "Look!"
In a place where the stream made a very sharp curve around a rock outcropping, there was a shallow pool of water. It was barely three feet deep where the water had dug out the streambed as it churned against the rocks when the water had been higher, but it was deep enough for a bath. "My dear, you are an angel. I will definitely sleep better with the dust and sweat of the day washed away." He smiled at her showing both dimples and a flash of gold. "Ladies first," he offered gallantly. He nodded to a stump a short distance away. "I'll wait there to keep watch, but I give you my word that I will keep my back turned."
She watched until he had taken his place and then started to undress. It was comforting to know that he was close if she needed him, but despite the fact that he had seen her naked before, she was relieved when he turned his back. It might seem silly, but this was a different kind of naked. This was for bathing, something she had always done in complete privacy; it wasn't the same as when they had made love.
The crystal clear water was deliciously cool as she stepped from the shallows into the waist deep pool. She sighed as she submerged herself and felt the heat pulled from her skin. The water moved gently around her from what little current was left, and she stretched her legs out and let herself hover nearly sitting on the pebbles at the bottom of the pool for several minutes. But, she couldn't actually sit or the water would have been over her head. It would be wonderful to soak there until her fingers and toes wrinkled, but Ezra was waiting patiently for his chance to bathe. She submerged again and worked her fingers through her hair to wash the sour smell of sweat away, then using her hands she rubbed herself clean, before ducking under the surface one last time to rinse.
Reluctantly, she walked out of the water and went to her clothes. Why hadn't she thought of bringing something fresh from the saddlebag? "Ezra?"
He didn't turn when she spoke. "Is something amiss?"
"I guess you could say that. I was so anxious to get here that I didn't bring other clothes. I really don't want to put those sweaty ones back on." She stood holding her clothes up in front of her in case he did turn around.
"A good point, and one that I had not considered either. I shall return momentarily." He rose and quickly made his way back to the camp to get their clothes.
+ + +
It seemed like such an invasion of her privacy to rummage through her saddlebag and her personal articles, but he didn't want to carry that heavy bag all the way back. It wasn't that they were able to carry all that much in them, but the thick leather of the bags added significantly to the weight of them. He finally settled on a pair of pantaloons, a camisole, and her extra set of riding clothes. The only other outer clothes he saw was the dress she had taken to wear in town. If he missed something she could attend to it when she got back to camp. As an afterthought he added her hairbrush to the stack of clothing.
Ezra found her right where he had left her. He tried not to stare at the exposed skin of her arms and shoulders as he got closer, despite the reactions of his body to the sight. There was a boulder just a few feet from her and he sat the stack down there and divided it into two piles, one his and the other hers, before he stepped away and turned his back. He could hear her behind him and he tried to put the image of those bare shoulders out of his mind, but his body continued to betray him.
The thought of that cool water and the fact that it was close to getting dark had the gambler working at his buttons and removing his weapons while he waited for her to finish dressing. Considering the fact that she had seen him unclothed before, the thought of her seeing him that way again didn't really bother him, except that seeing her standing there partially exposed had had an effect on him that he would rather not reveal to her.
"Okay, I'm done."
He turned back to her and smiled. "Feeling a little more human now?"
"Feeling much more human," she said with a soft laugh. "I'll keep watch for you." She nodded toward the stump and grabbed her brush to go take her place with her back to the stream.
Ezra made quick work of stripping out of the sweat-soaked clothes and stepping into the water. As inviting as the deeper water was, at that moment he needed another kind of relief even more. He slipped around behind the outcropping, knowing it wouldn't take long since he knew all the tricks that put him over the edge quickly. Keeping quiet grew increasingly difficult the closer he got, but somehow he managed to swallow the cry that tried to break free at the moment of release. He stood, leaning back against the rock, gasping for breath and hoping Mary couldn't hear him.
After a couple minutes, he slipped into the deeper water and washed quickly. The water felt wonderful, but she had been considerate and had not tarried too long. It wouldn't be fair to leave her sitting there on that stump any longer than he had waited for her. He pressed his wet hands against the fine dry sand of the sandbar that was right next to the pool and rubbed it gently over his skin to scrub off the sweat and dust of the day. Then he submerged himself to rinse the sand off and wash the sweat from his hair. After a second dunking, the gambler forced himself to leave the cool water behind and headed for his clothes.
"Feeling better?" she asked, when she heard Ezra step up behind her.
"Immensely!"
~M7M~
Mary jumped when the bright flash and a loud thunderclap jolted her awake. She felt Ezra's hand on her arm when she sat up, and she turned to look toward him in the dark. Another flash lit up the area and she could see him watching her. The thought of trying to sleep out in the rain wasn't a pleasant one, but if it meant an end to the drought she wouldn't complain.
"It's heat lightning."
The flickering of the lightning hurt her eyes, and she pulled her gaze away from it to look down at the man lying quietly a couple feet from her. "Are you sure? I don't think I have ever seen it this bright before."
"I do believe we happen to be right under it, instead of viewing it from a distance. I've been watching it for some time. It really is a spectacular display." He lay there watching the brilliant flashes and listening to the low rumbles from the clouds above. "What I don't understand is how we can have the presence of those clouds and still not receive any rain."
Mary flinched when an exceptionally bright flash lit up the sky accompanied by a loud boom. "It never made sense to me either." She really wished it would stop. She had never told anyone, but lightning terrified her; it had ever since she was a little girl.
Dry leaves crunched and she felt his presence close by her side. Without a word he gathered her into his arms and held her close until she started to relax. "Better now?"
"Yes. I feel so silly being afraid of a little lightning." She raised up on one elbow and studied him. "How did you know?"
"I dare say you would not find the answer very flattering," he replied and chuckled softly.
"Oh really? Now I really want to know."
"I have seen the same look in my horse's eyes when something has him spooked."
"Ezra Standish! Are you comparing me to a horse?" She smacked him on the arm. There was no way she would ever be a convincing actress, even she could hear the amusement in her own voice. Another thunderclap sent her back into his arms with her face pressed against his neck.
He held her, shielding her face from the brilliant spectacle above them. One hand rubbed slow circles on her back, gradually relaxing the tight muscles. When the rumbles of thunder began to move farther away, she finally drifted off to sleep.
+ + +
Ezra groaned when the bright shaft of sunlight hit him squarely in the face. It felt like he had just gone to sleep. He felt Mary still snug against him and smiled. She felt like she belonged there curled up to him; they just seemed to fit together. She moved and he shifted so he could see her face as she struggled to open her eyes. "Good morning, sleepyhead." He wasn't about to tell her he had just woken up himself.
She looked around at the brightness of the day and then it hit her. "What time is it?"
The gambler pulled out his new pocket watch and checked the dial. "Approximately nine o'clock."
"We should have been on our way at least two hours ago!" She started to scramble from her bedroll but the arm around her tightened and wouldn't let her go.
"My dear, if you will recall, we stopped early that first day. We will still reach the town by nightfall." He looked intently into her pale blue eyes. "After our sleep had been disrupted by that dazzling exhibition in the night sky, we both required a little more rest."
He let her go, and they both got up to see to their morning needs. They shared a quick breakfast of cold beans and day old biscuits before packing up and heading for home.
+ + +
"What's that?" Mary asked as they topped a hill.
Ezra stared off in the direction she pointed and tensed. "Smoke! The lightning must have started a fire." The line of smoke stretched on with no end in sight. "It's a good distance away, so I don't think we'll have reason for concern." He eyed the thick haze anxiously, despite trying to reassure Mary. As dry as everything was, if the wind shifted toward them it could be real trouble.
The pair rode on keeping a wary eye on the smoke in the distance. They had been riding into the light wind and the blaze appeared to be spreading back in the direction they had come from. But then the wind shifted, and they got their first hint of the smell of smoke on the air. The horses recoiled from the scent, their nostrils flaring, eyes wide with alarm. Both riders had their hands full with their nervous mounts, as the acrid smell of burning grass grew stronger.
"We have to change direction. There is no way we can continue on the direct route home." Ezra urged Chaucer to turn, putting the rapidly approaching fire behind them. The horse was more than happy to oblige and needed little encouragement to pick up his pace. Mary's mare kept close at their side as they tried to outrun the approaching flames.
They rode at a ground-eating pace, but the scent of smoke continued to overtake them. Mary chanced a glance back over her shoulder. "Ezra, look!" She waited until he turned toward her and pointed behind and to their right. The fire was not only gaining on them, but it was flanking them as well.
The gambler whipped around to look back and to the left and recoiled at what he saw. He had been so intent on keeping as much distance as possible between them and the inferno behind them that he had failed to consider the other directions. Dense smoke signaled the line of fire was beginning to curve in on them from that direction as well. He was in unfamiliar territory, so all he could do was keep them all moving forward and pray that they found some refuge soon. For now, all they could do was ride.
Ezra pulled up for a moment when he saw a large wooded area blocking their way and turned Chaucer so he could check in all directions. Mary struggled to keep control of the nervous animal she rode. The beast clearly did not like the idea of stopping with the wind picking up and pushing the flames ahead of it and causing the blaze to close in on them rapidly. "Where to?" she shouted.
There was nowhere to go. The flames had completely cut off any escape to their right. To the left there was still some clear space between the blaze and the trees but without knowing how far the wall of fire continued in that direction they didn't dare try to make a break for it that way. He turned back to face the trees, knowing there was no turning back once they moved ahead. "In there! It is our only choice!" he called back to her.
The pair plunged their mounts through the dense undergrowth at the tree line then spurred them on as fast as they dared between the trees. With any luck the trees still held enough moisture that they wouldn't burn as quickly as the dry grass of the plains. Luck proved not to be with them. They could hear it when the trees flared up. The crackling of the grass fire gave way to the roar of flames reaching into the canopy.
Fear gripped him like an iron fist squeezing the air from his chest and causing him to struggle for breath. The air had become unbearably hot and sweat rain in rivulets down his face and chest. The smoke brought on fits of coughing, making it difficult to breathe and even harder to try to speak. Ezra stole a glance at Mary and he could see the same terror had control of her. "Stay close! We can't get separated!" he yelled over the deafening sounds of destruction around them as the flames leapt from tree to tree over their heads.
Glowing embers rained from the canopy igniting the undergrowth. A horse squealed in pain as a hot brand landed on its flank setting the coarse hair on fire and searing into the animal's flesh. Mary screamed and clung helplessly to the saddle horn as the pain-ridden animal reared in terror. Ezra fought to keep Chaucer from bolting long enough to reach the other horse. In desperation the gambler jerked off his hat and used it to swat at the smoldering hair on the mare's rump.
The crack of limbs collapsing had both animals dancing sideways away from the falling debris. "There!" He pointed off to their right. Mary still struggled to stay in the saddle of the frightened animal, unable to regain control. As Ezra maneuvered his gelding past her, he leaned out and yanked the reins out of her hands. The mare resisted, rearing and twisting, trying to pull itself free, but to no avail. The gambler refused to let go. Another limb crashing to the ground behind them finally persuaded the beast to move in the direction that he wanted her to go.
The opening was small, but if they hurried they just might get through. "EZRA!" The sound of Mary's scream was lost in the horrifying sound of wood splitting as a tree toppled in a shower of sparks and blazing coals. Burning branches brushed past them, but they did not slow in their headlong dash toward the opening in the trees.
Cooler air hit them within moments of clearing the tree line. They gulped in the air, filling their tortured lungs until they could hold no more and then expelling it in fits of violent coughing. Ezra slowed them slightly to hand Mary back her reins and in the process he looked back. Flames rose high above the treetops, and the wind blew live coals out into the grass behind the riders. "Go! Heyah!" He smacked the mare hard on the flank causing her to lurch forward and kicked his gelding urging him to follow.
Their mounts were past exhaustion, their coats lathered with sweat, and foam dripped from their open mouths, when suddenly they pulled up short. There was no place left to run. The ground suddenly dropped away into a steep canyon. Ezra sagged in his saddle well aware that the grass fire still trailed not far behind them. He growled abruptly in frustration as they stood looking down into a sanctuary that they could not reach.
Mary looked both directions, tears streaming down her soot-smudged face. "There has to be a way down! There has to be."
The dismay in her voice shook Ezra out of his daze, and he turned to check the progress of the fire. It was closer to the canyon rim to the left than to the right. Green eyes locked with blue as he eased his horse past her. "We'll find one," he stated firmly.
They had ridden a good half mile before they found what they were looking for, a place where the walls weren't as steep, where the horses could make it down to the canyon floor. Chaucer shied at first when Ezra urged him toward the steep slope, but a sudden gust of hot smoke laden wind from behind him changed his mind, and Mary's mare followed not far behind.
Loose rocks slid under the horses’ hooves and caused the nervous animals to scramble to keep their footing. The incline was so sheer at times they were almost sliding on their haunches for short distances until the slope leveled enough to allow them to regain their footing. The descent into the chasm seemed endless, despite seeing the canyon floor grow steadily closer. Near the bottom, the grade finally allowed their mounts to proceed more normally, much to the relief of both horses and riders.
Ezra reined the gelding around so he could look back up the way they had come. He couldn't believe they had actually made it down with both horses still on their feet and uninjured. The slope to the top looked impossibly vertical from this perspective. Smoke billowed over the rim of the canyon high above them. Very little vegetation clung to the rock walls, effectively creating a natural fire break - provided no glowing embers stayed hot long enough to fall to the sparse grass on the valley floor. He doubted that could happen, but he wasn't taking any bets on that one. The odds had been stacked against them since that first shift in the wind.
The pair urged the animals to move on just a little farther, putting some distance between them and the fire that still raged at the top of the bluff. Rosie stumbled in her exhaustion, nearly pitching Mary from the saddle. She slid off the animal's back and stood stroking its heaving sides. "Ezra, they just can't go any farther."
The gambler slid to the ground beside her and nodded tiredly. "I agree, but we need to attempt to locate water. We'll walk them." He took the reins and tugged firmly. Chaucer reluctantly followed, exhaustion evident in each step. Ezra patted the bridge of the gelding's nose and spoke soothingly to him. "You were magnificent, but we must go just a little farther." He gave another tug on the reins. "When we get back home, I am going to find you the biggest carrots in all of Four Corners. A Sultan's mount could wish for no better." He coaxed the big animal forward slowly. "And, after you have been brushed until your coat glistens in the sun, I will buy you all the oats you can eat." The gelding's ears perked up at the mention of oats and Ezra chuckled. "Yes, I know you. You would walk to the ends of the earth for a bucket of oats."
"And what do we get if we keep moving?" Mary asked with a hint of a smile as she urged her exhausted mare forward, one weary step at a time.
Ezra reached over to give the other horse a gentle pat on the neck. "This fine lady will receive all the rewards that my gallant steed has in store for him."
The weary blonde stroked Rosie's nose. "Did you hear that? Ezra just promised you carrots and oats too. You don't want Chaucer to have them all to himself do you?" The mare let out a half-hearted snort, as if to say, 'I really couldn't care less.' Mary chuckled. "Keep that up and Ezra might change his mind."
"Never!" the gambler promised.
"Well, what about me? Do I get anything if I keep moving?"
"What would you like as your reward, my dear?" Ezra glanced at her with one eyebrow raised in question.
"A whole pitcher of lemonade and a nice long soak in a cool bath, then a big steak dinner," she answered with a wistful sigh.
"Ahhhh… a woman after my own heart," he said with a grin. "Except make mine a bottle of fine scotch whiskey."
They continued on in silence, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other until they noticed the horses' ears twitching at some sound their human companions couldn't hear. Rosie perked up slightly and quit protesting when Mary urged her to keep moving. A few more minutes put them close enough that they could hear it too. Water! The sound was faint, but it was there.
"Do you hear that?" Mary asked softly, like she was afraid that if she said it too loudly the sound would disappear.
"Indeed I do!" Ezra felt slightly more energized from the prospect of finally being able to stop before humans and beasts all dropped in their tracks.
Under normal conditions it would be a sizable river, but the current drought had shrunk its size considerably. What would have been churning rapids were now not much more than large ripples as water flowed over various rocks and ledges in the riverbed. Ezra saw that the water flowed much smoother slightly upstream, so he turned their little troop in that direction. Once away from the swifter current they both led their horses to the water's edge to drink. Ezra handed Mary Chaucer's reins to hold while he retrieved and filled their canteens. The wanted to gulp down their fill of the cool water, but they had to keep reminding themselves not to drink too much too fast or to let the horses do so either.
They pulled the animals away from the water and moved a little farther upstream. It was hard to tell from where they were, but it looked like they could find some minimal amount of shelter under a rock outcropping not too far away. The mare kept trying to get back to the water, but she needed to wait a little while before drinking more.
"I believe this is the best we can hope for in the way of shelter," the gambler said as he checked out the indentation under the overhanging rocks. "It should at least offer us some shade tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? Aren't we going home tomorrow?" Mary asked.
"No. The horses need a day to recover before we can expect more from them, and quite frankly, I require some recovery time as well."
The blonde quickly became concerned by the tone in his voice and ran her eyes over him from head to toe. She gasped at what she saw for the first time. The gambler had managed to keep his left side turned away from her until now. The sleeves of his jacket and his shirt had been burned through, exposing the red scorched flesh underneath. "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt? Sit down…where else are you hurt? Can you get your jacket and shirt off? Do you need me to help you?" She rattled off questions without even giving him time to respond.
When he could finally get a word in he chuckled softly. "To answer your questions, because we didn't dare stop, a few minor burns, no I can't, and yes I do."
Mary wasted no time in getting his buttons undone and helping him slip his uninjured arm from the sleeves, but removing the shirt and jacket from the burned arm required more care. Ezra hissed in pain as the fabric rubbed across the tender skin beneath it. The seared patch on his upper arm covered most of the area between the shoulder and the elbow in a strip about five inches wide. "I don't see any blisters yet," Mary announced. She grabbed what was left of his shirt and went to soak it in the cool water of the river. When she got back to him she folded the dripping shirt into a manageable size and pressed it to the abused flesh.
"Damn!"
"Hold still! I know it hurts, but this will help pull some of the fire out." She clasped his forearm to keep him from yanking away from her.
He gritted his teeth against the pain that shot through him at the touch of the cold water to his damaged arm. Gradually, as the wet cloth warmed, he was able to relax enough to speak. He let out a long shuddering breath and said, "I apologize for my outburst."
"Shhhh… you don't have to apologize. Say whatever you need to if it helps." She removed the hot cloth and dipped it into the cold water again to repeat the process. This time the shock to his body wasn't as severe, and he managed to stay still while she applied the cold compress several more times.
"Hold this," Mary told him after pressing the cool cloth back to his arm. "I think I saw something that will help. Do you have a pocket knife?"
Ezra fumbled with his injured arm, but finally managed to get his hand in his pants’ pocket to get the knife. "What, may I ask, do you propose to do?"
"I am pretty sure I saw some aloe plants. I remember Nathan saying they are good for burns. I'll be right back." She left before he could make a move to stop her.
Ezra succumbed to fatigue and let himself slump back against the rocks for a few moments. He looked at the tattered remains of the shirt he held against his arm and sighed. His haberdashery expenses had grown considerably since he became associated with his fellow peacekeepers. Reluctantly, he laid the wet cloth aside and forced himself to his feet. The horses still needed tending before he could allow himself to rest.
He took care of Rosie first. The poor mare was literally asleep on her feet, one back leg cocked, and her head drooping low. He removed the saddle and saddlebags and set them near their shelter, before he looked her over for injuries. Surprisingly, after that headlong dash through a rain of fire, the burn on her flank seemed to be the only significant burn. She had several smaller singed areas in her hair, but most didn't reach the skin underneath. The bad one covered an area about the size of his hand. All the hair had been scorched off and the skin was vividly red where it was exposed. Several small blisters were already starting to form. As much as his own arm hurt, he was sure this one on Rosie's flank had to be extremely painful. Hopefully, Mary would bring back enough of that plant to treat the mare's wounds too.
The gambler followed the same routine with Chaucer and was relieved to find only a few small burn marks where some small hot embers had landed on the gelding's coat. Several had burned through to the skin, but they were small in comparison to that one of Rosie's; most were no larger than a silver dollar. Fortunately, none had caused the hair to burst into flames, but they had scorched their way through to sear the flesh.
They were rapidly losing light as night approached. Ezra hoped that Mary made it back soon because finding her way in the dark might be impossible. He had just located a patch of grass that still had a little green to it near where the edge of the river should have been. He tethered the horses to a short shrub, making sure they had enough slack that they could reach as much of the grass as possible. When it was daylight tomorrow they could find them some better forage; at least he hoped they could.
"Ezra?" Mary called to him. "I found the aloe." She held up the armload of long flat leaves.
"Is there enough for them too?" He nodded toward the horses.
"More than enough, I'm sure, but if we need more I know where to find it." She joined him next to the mare and winced at the sight of the deep burn on her haunch. She laid the plants on a boulder nearby, and quickly slit a few of the stalks open and scraped out the juicy pulp. Nathan had said the juice was good for a minor burn, but the pulp would make a good poultice for the more serious ones. There was no way to bandage the animal's injury, but she could at least cover the area with the aloe and maybe give the mare a little relief. With one hand she patted and soothed the horse while she gently applied the sticky substance to the wound. She moved around Rosie and Chaucer dabbing the healing balm on each burn she found. Satisfied that she could do no more for them, Mary turned her attention to Ezra.
"Your turn," she said matter-of-factly. While she waited for him to settle himself, half sitting on the boulder where she had deposited the aloe stalks, she rinsed her hands in the river and set about slitting open some more of the flat tapered leaves. A frown creased her brow as she studied the situation, trying to figure the best way to treat the burn. Any kind of bandage would soak up the aloe and make a poultice useless. Finally, she decided to press the fleshy insides against his arm and bind them there. The skin of the leaves would keep them from being dried out by the bandage.
Ezra cringed when he heard his shirt suffering even more damage at Mary's hands. She ripped the good sleeve from the garment and split it open to make a wide strip to wrap his arm in. She ripped a couple strips off one end to use to tie the makeshift bandage in place. "I fear I have been quite remiss. I have not even asked you if you suffered any injury."
"I'm alright. I got a few little burns, but nothing compared to what you did." She pressed the aloe leaves to his arm causing him to hiss in pain. "I'm sorry!"
Ezra reached up and laid a hand over hers and looked up to catch her gaze. He let his eyes speak to her to offer her what reassurance he could, and to give her his trust. After a moment he gave her a slight nod to signal that he was ready for her to finish.
"Uhhh… I'll need you to hold part of these in place while I get the rest," she told him, and placed his hand where she wanted it. Once she had the area covered with the split leaves, she wrapped it securely with the shirtsleeve and tied it in place with the strips. "I'm sure Nathan could have done a much better job, but I think it should hold."
"My dear, you did an admirable job under these less than ideal conditions." He stood and patted the rock where he had just been sitting. "Now, it is your turn. Where are these burns of yours?" A few minutes later he had dabbed each one with the aloe juice, and had allowed her to tend the few other small spots on him.
The pair was beyond exhaustion. Just as they lost the last of the daylight, Mary foraged through the saddlebags and found them both a day old biscuit and grabbed the bedrolls. It wasn't much, but at that moment they both craved rest more than food. They stretched out on their blankets and forced down the dry bread, but the last of the crumbs had barely fallen when they both gave in to sleep.
Author’s Email: Luna6438@aol.com